T&2.8: 5 9 



THE 



Political Mirror. 



A POEM 

BY 

/ 

BENJAMIN Y. SINGLETON, 



PETERSBURG, ILL. 



THE 



Political Mirror. 



A POEM 



BY 



BENJAMIN Y. SINGLETON, 



PETERSBURG, ILL, 












Entered according to an Act of Congress, in the year 1879, by Benjamin Y. 
Singleton, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 



THE POLITICAL MIRROR. 



Ho, Greenback boys, to your toddy, 
Drink a health to soul and body, 
And when you drink till you're quite jolly 
Then show a bit of country folly. 



When through the country you go spouting 
To set the Greenback folks to shouting, 
A-lways tell a pleasant Greenback story 
To puff them up to glory. 

When through the country you do go 
Greenback seed for to sow, 
Fill your pockets with Greenback papers. 
And show yourselves true Gold- haters. 

When you go preaching greenbacks to your neighbors. 
Don't forget to put on airs, be jabers. 
Tell them you're the people's frieud. 
And have Greenbacks for to spend. 



Come, boys, send out a scout ; 
Biing up the rear of Greenback trout. 
Then in ^concert, give a national sneeze 
To bring bond- holders to their knees. 

When you bestride the Greenback donkey 

To chase the Golden monkey, 

Let it be your greatest care 

To urge him on with whip and spur. 

When you the country rule by Greenback laws, 
And comb the monkey with lion-s claws, 
Show your wisdom by a pause 
Lest you should suffer broken jaws. 

Greenback boys, don't you grow frantic 

Though the monkey should be antic, 

Though you preach Greenbacks till your features change. 

You ne'er need think the country to cure of its Golden mange. 

Let bond-holders and bankers all agree 
The Greenback circus for to see. 
And if them you'd see go up like a rocket, 
Slip ten thousand in their pocket. 

If a banker should send a thousand dollar draft 
To buy a Greenback club a raft. 
Would they grunt and quiver. 
And then refuse the gold and silver 



' 9 



If so, just pass it o'er to me 
With which to buy my bread and tea ; 
Then look with patience for to see 
What good I could do for thee. 



Now if in these hard times 

I should spend an hour making rhymes 

For myself to amuse, 

Greenback boys, do me excuse. 



Were 1 a man of leisure 

Enjoying the sweetest pleasure, 

And had one thousand of the golden ore, 

I could write a thousand verses more. 

But I am old and poor. 

Without one dollar of the golden ore, 

And from labor I need rest. 

Though 'Lis unknown when I shall be so blest. 

Ho, Greenback boys, to your toddy. 
And never dress in shoddy. 
Drink to soothe your perplexing fears 
And drive away your vexing cares. 

Let it be free for all— 

The low, the lean and the tall, 

But never taste the worm-wood and the gall 

Engendered in a Greenback hall. 



e 



Now when you go Greenback preaching, 
And set the Greenback frogs to screeching, 
Then a long Greenback tale unfold, 
Of the mighty power of Gold. 

What is this reconstructed Greenbackism 
But a new-fangled catechism 
To teach the people the rich to hate, 
And of Greenbacks proudly prate. 

Give us plenty of flour sacks 
Well 3tufled with Greenbacks, 
Then lay aside political hacks 
And ride upon bondholders backs. 

Now donH you think this Greenback swell 
Is but a magic spell 
Thatmay cause you to rebel, 
And send you down to hell ? - 

Greenback boys, let me give you some advice- 
If you wish to live a quiet life. 
Never encourage envy and strife 
That may endanger property and life. 

If massive halls tumbled down at early morn 
At the blowing of sheep's horns 
Why should not the bonded temple 
At the voice of Greenback people ? 



Greenback boys, put yourselves in battle array 
The Golden monkey for to slay ; 
And when he chases you to your holes, 
Let prayer be said for Greenback souls. 

When you wish to suck ofiBcial honey dew, 
Hurl from powlJer Satan's crew 
Take a specific for the gravel 
And this poem well unravel. 



When o'er the countiy you do roam full of boa&t> 
Arm yourselves with Samson's ghost — 
Fill your bottles with champaign 
For the presidential campaign. 

When bond-holders hear Greenback thunder, 

Would it be a^great wonder 

If they should surrender - 

To the Greenback legal tender ? 

When you get ill with Greenback fever 
Then swear you'll be a seceder, 
And no longer follow the Greenback beaver 
Lest he should prove a grand deceiver. 

When you get upon your ear 

Bond-holders for to scare 

Don't put upon your track 

Some old broken-down political hack. 



Like Massachusetts' Greenback coons, 
Who took Ben. Butler with his spoons, 
Nor the great General Gary, 
Who is so much like a bird Canary. 

Nor that old political teaser 
Whose oflSoial name is General Weaver ; 
Remember he's no Julius Ciesar, 
But a short-sighted political sneezer. 

But oh, remember Dennis Kearney, 
Who resides in California. 
When he gets Greenback night-mare 
Let all the world at him stare. 



Let Greenback boys seek some rosy bower 
And count their Greenbacks by the hour, 
And when at me they look sour, 
Let me pluck a Golden flower. 

Gold is good enough for me 
Though Greenbacks hung like leaves upon a tree. 
And when a Greenback president you wish to see. 
Remember the story of Paddy's flea. 

When you're defeated by the people 
Hang your banner on a church steeple, 
And write upon its staff, 
We're gored by the Golden calf. 



Now isn't this a queer time 
For one like me lo make a rhyme ? 
But take this poem for what its worth 
And let's have a little mirth. 



When you lick soup from Ben. Butler's spoon 

And strain your eyts looking for tadpoles in the moon, 

Take a little brandy very soon 

To prevent a fatal swoon. 

And never join the Grant boom, 
Lest you should be forgotten soon. 
And never step aside to tell 
Bond-holders are on the road to hell. 

When your menagerie you get organized, 
Keep yourselves from being demoralized. 
Then travel the countiy through 
To catch a Grtenback kangaroo. 

Come boys take a little butter stew 
To make you well to do, 
Then send the old political cuss, 
Howling to the wilderness. 

If you wish to show your speed. 
Don't put old Butler in the lead. 
But if you wish to shame the devil, 
Get old Butler on a revel. 



lO 



Now when he is ausgespehlt 
Without another pohlical wheel, 
Let him dance his last reel 
And then a jay bird steal. 

Then to wear old Butler's name, 
Let the jay bird die of shame. 
So, let old Ben. seek a quiet liome 
And there grieve out his life alone. 

When Greenbackism proves to be a grand fizzle, 

Play a mournful tune upon your fiddle ; 

Lay your hand upon your breast 

And swear thereafter Greenbackistn you'll detest 

When I smoke my own tobacco 

Why should I not be a good Greenbacker, 

And when I have a Greenback son, 

Why should I not make for the biys a little fun. 



Greenback boys, when you have a little meeting, 
To exchange many a social greeting, 
By this poem may I be blest 
And from labor take a rest. 



When you get in full bloom 

Your little, mighty Greenback boom, 

Don't you forget very soon, 

To pride yourself a Greenback coon. 



II 



When four country's laws you discard, 
And pay no heed to a sainted bard, 
Be careful how you cut your card, 
Lest it may go with you daraned hard. 

Be careful, boys, not to make me mad 
Lest I might say something a little bad. 
And when in this country things go queer 
Let parson Pomeroy lead in prayer. 

Now that the fall voting's o'er. 
And Greenback boys feel quite sore, 
Spread the news to Greenback Jews, 
That parson Pomeroy's got the blues. 

Now write upon your dead Greenback Giraffe, 
The little negro's epitaph, 
"Since I am so soon done for, 
What was I begun for ? " 

Much of this poem was composed 
When I was hard at work and well disposed. 
If in it anything wrong I have disclosed. 
Please do not think me ill disposed. 

Oh, were I supremely blest, 
And in the arms of love caressed. 
And when I suffer pain in my chest, 
Dear, lilll me to sleep upon your breast, 



— '-S3 



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"015 863 736 4 



